Humanities
Humanities– Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement
Intent:
Why do we teach what we teach?
At Bledington, we follow the expectations of the National Curriculum and EYFS whilst ensuring a high quality of history and geography (Humanities/Understanding the World) education. We aim to ensure that our pupils have a deep understanding of the skills and knowledge to access learning. The humanities are taught in a thematic and immersive way with an emphasis on active learning to keep pupils engaged. Throughout their time at Bledington, pupils follow a clear and transferable progression linked to skills and knowledge. These will continue into their further education and beyond. Our approach deliberately ensures the pupil, the school, the family, the local community, the local area and the wider world will be studied. Linked with other subjects, the humanities provide a range of experiences and achievements, which contribute to the richness of pupils' lives according to individual needs and abilities.
Geography is exciting, enjoyable, and a relevant subject to all. It helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspect of the world. Pupils are encouraged to develop greater skills, understanding and knowledge which are transferable to other areas of the curriculum. Geography, by nature, is an investigative subject so we seek to inspire children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Hopefully this inquisitiveness will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We will:
- promote children’s interest to explore, experience and develop an understanding of diverse places, people, resources and the natural and human environment.
- Help pupils to have a sense of their surroundings and the wider world.
- Study different cultures and encourage an understanding of difference/diversity whist comparing and contrasting human and physical aspects.
- explore the Earth’s key physical features and processes such as different biomes, volcanoes and extreme weather.
Through the teaching of history, we can expand our pupils' knowledge and understanding of the past and encourage their investigation of it. Pupils study the relevant past, experiencing, investigating and being immersed in a range of sources of information. Learning about the past- how it has influenced and shaped our lives, beliefs, and customs, can help pupils to make sense of the world in which they live. In History, we will:
- provide opportunities to stimulate pupils’ experience and foster an understanding of events, chronology and places
- develop a sense of identity and cultural understanding based on our historical heritage.
- Enabling our children to learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain.
- Enrich the curriculum by offering pupils the opportunity to be actively involved in exploring the world around them. This is achieved through a range of activities including but not limited to: handling artefacts, visiting museums, listening to speakers and stories, looking at books, photos and through taking part in practical craft-based activities linked to particular topics.
Implementation:
How do we teach what we teach?
At Bledington, the humanities are taught on a weekly basis in every class. Topics are blocked to allow children to focus on developing their knowledge and skills, studying each topic in depth. We have developed a progression grid which enables pupils to build on and develop their knowledge and skills each year. History in EYFS & KS1 begins by looking at the children’s own personal history and introduces them to the idea of chronology and timelines. They look at significant events and people who have shaped society locally, nationally and globally. In KS2, each year group studies aspects of local history, a British history topic and an ancient history topic. Chronology is taught to allow children to consistently build on previous knowledge and learning by placing previously taught History topics on a timeline. Geography provides a purposeful platform for exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. We ensure pupils are able to explore the relationship between the Earth and its people through the study of place, space and environment and learn the skills of understanding locational knowledge.
At the start of each topic children will:
- Review previous learning and will have the opportunity to share what they already know about a current topic. This ensures lessons are relevant and take into account different starting points
- Be given a knowledge organiser which details some key information, dates and vocabulary, to support children with their acquisition of knowledge and is used as a reference document.
During the topic, pupils will:
- Be given opportunities to use enquiry, investigation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and presentation.
- Be given consideration on how greater depth will be taught, learnt and shown in lessons
- Observe effective modelling by teachers to ensure that children are able to achieve their learning intentions, with misconceptions addressed within it.
- Be supported to develop their ability to know more and remember more. There will be opportunities to review the learning that has taken place in previous topics and lessons.
- Be given the opportunity for Self or Peer Assessment, which will then be used to inform planning, preparation, differentiation and address any misconceptions within that lesson, or for the next lesson.
Planning and Support
- Medium term and sequence planning for all units will cover key concepts/skills
- Include educational visits and visitors, to enrich and enhance the pupil’s learning experience where possible
- Cross-curricular links are planned for, with other subjects such as Maths, Literacy, Computing, Art & DT.
- Educational, immersive displays that help to create a rich learning environment for each Humanities focus.
- CPD and standardisation opportunities are available to staff to ensure high levels of confidence and knowledge are maintained, when applicable
- To support teaching, staff access a range of resources and planning including History Association (https://www.geography.org.uk/pricing-and-membership Geographical association (https://www.history.org.uk/membership/info/primary sharing of useful websites/emails/courses and professional conversations.
Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together but we also have a range of additional interventions and support to enhance and scaffold children who may not be reaching their potential or moving on children who are doing very well. Teachers will use highly effective Assessment for Learning at different points to ensure misconceptions are highlighted and addressed. Staff use on the spot intervention with target individuals.
Impact:
How do we teach what pupils have learnt and how well they have learnt it?
The impact of our curriculum design will lead to outstanding progress over time across all stages of learning from pupil starting point to completion. Children will therefore be expected to leave Bledington reaching at least age-related expectations. Each member of staff is confident to express and use judgements to identify children’s starting points, progress and planned experiences. They ensure ongoing observations to cement pupil advancements. We believe our high standards are due to the balance of direct teaching, enriched experiences and analysis of skills, observations and knowledge. Through this rich diet of balanced learning experiences, we develop happy, curious and enthusiastic geographers and historians, who will share their opinions through pupil voice and their work. Monitoring of teaching and learning will be through book scrutinies, professional discussions, observation, learning walks etc and will show skills development and progress.
Please see our two-year rolling programme for themed blocks and mini topics. Here are just some of the experiences to enrich our pupil’s learning experiences.
- Finding out about our local area through walks and visits to Greystones
- Learning through theme days and mini topics E.g. Fire Fire! (The Great Fire of London or The Gun Powder Plot)
- Educational visits and visitors which provide a great opportunity for pupils to gain such experience and contribute to the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills. (eg UK Parliamentary service, British Legion, Evacuees etc)
- Recycle day/ The Great Tidy Up Day - Our Eco Journey
We have an active Eco-Council who work hard to help the school to be eco-friendlier and to help to save our planet. To do this we have to be aware of how we use energy and resources in the school, fair trade and walk to school days.